disciplinary medical center, Vitamed Medical Center, was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, recently. The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) extended a $10 million Murabaha facility for the financing of medical equipment, furniture and fixtures required for the operations of the any). The project contributed towards the development of healthcare sector in the Republic of Uzbekistan by way of providing quality diagnostic consultation services and improving access to latest medical equipment. At present, Vitamed Medical is the only center in the country collaborating with foreign industry experts, in particular with Medanta Clinic of India. The world-class heart surgeon, Naresh Trehan, delivered the welcome address, in which he noted that patients will now receive unrivalled treatment in Uzbekistan after the successful opening of the new center. The speakers included A. Sidikov, head of foreign economic activity department of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan and F.Y. Abdurakhimova, deputy governor of Tashkent and the chairperson of City Women's Council. They unanimously noted that in conjunction with the "Year of a Healthy Mother and a Healthy Baby", the newly-opened clinic will remain focused on mothers and young patients. It was also mentioned that the clinic's patients would be able to receive online consultation from Medanta specialists. A number of the center's specialists have received extensive training in India, where they were acquainted with the modern methods of diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation in various areas. Vitamed Medical is a five-story center centrally located in Tashkent. The Center provides a "one-door service"—where one is offered a full range of medical services, from consulting a specialist to undergoing minimally-invasive operations. Located on the ground floor, the Radiology Department is equipped with state-of-the-art MRI and MSCT scanners and digital X-ray machines. The laboratory, located on the second floor, provide diagnostics in various areas, including organ compatibility analysis. All reagents for the Center are supplied exclusively by Siemens. The various functions of the unique digital-video endoscopy were demonstrated during the opening ceremony. One of the best in the world — the Japanese Fujinon device — projects HD-quality images in both color and black and white to the screen, allowing the identification of diseases at an early stage. The Department of Cardiology is worth a special mention. Here, the performance of the heart at rest and with the load is observed. Meanwhile, the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation include physiotherapy units and rooms for therapeutic massages, in addition to chiropractic treatments and rehabilitation procedures. In operating rooms equipped with modern equipment, minimally-invasive surgery operations (such as ophthalmology, plastic surgery, and general surgery amongst others) are held. A small hospital is located on the fourth floor, consisting of double and single rooms, which ensures patients' utmost comfort. Special pjamas are given to the patients undergoing in-patient treatment, and a nurse is allocated to serve each room. The daily care cost include meals and medication. Additionally, there is a fitness center, as well as massage and acupuncture rooms on the basement floor. The center also provides round-the-clock emergency care. During the signing ceremony, Khaled Al Aboodi, the CEO of ICD, expressed his belief in the center's future impact on the city's residents: "Our significant healthcare equipment financing for this center reinforces our commitment in the delivery of quality health care, as it is essential to sustainable development. The specialists working in this new facility will have access to the latest technology and patients will receive care in a comfortable healing environment." — SG
